Morris tribune., 1887-06-08
THE SHOTGUN GUARD.
A CONVERSATION RELATIVE TO THE
EXPLOITS OF HIGHWAYMEN.

EXPLOITS OF HIGHWAYMEN.
How Road Agents Attack a stago-Try.
ing to the Nerves of the Guard-Let
ters of Warning-A Case of Total Col.
lapse.
When the treasure box came in on the
Deadwood stage the other day, the mem.
bers of the shotgun guard carried 1t into
the express car and sat down by its side.
There were three of them. The box had
$780, in bullion in it, and as usual a
crowd assembled to look at it and at the
men having it in charge. AS there was
an hour before the train would start, the
crowd and the guard fell into converse
ton relative to train and stage robberies.
After some of the exploits of highwaymen
on the Hills road had been referred to,
Bill Dunn, one of the shotgun men, said:
II see that there is heap of talk in the
papers about the cowardice of men who
happen to be mixed up in tussles with the
agents. Now, this is all very funny when
you are 1000 miles away from them and
know there isn't q Winchester within
four miles of you, but the thing takes on
a different aspect when you are within
range. / never was in hold up but
once, but l have seen more than one time
when / felt as though l would like to get
out and walk and let the box go. The
fact that you have so much money in your
keeping is of itself enough to make you
nervous in country like this. AS q rule
when agents attack treasure coach or a
train they are OH you before you know it.
Then you can fight or die, just as you
please. The times that make your shirt
collar wilt are when you have reason to
believe that you are to be attacked and
yet are not attacked.
LETTERS OF WARNING.
"When 1 carried gun ON the Sidney
route there was month at one time that
l never left Deadwood without having re-
ceived letter notifying me that / was to
be held up on that trip. Sometimes got
the warning through the the postofice,
once / received it in Sidney, and several
times it was pushed under my door at my
boarding house when l was asleep. In
some of tho letters the writer assumed to
be the robber, and he always wound up
his warming with the words: so look out,
III have the box, and l may have you.
Others of them, though they were all
written in the same hand, came ostensibly
from others parties, who pretended to
have only my interest at heart? OF course
! knew that that was a dangerous road,
and it was my business to shoot and be
shot; but after this sort of thing had been
kept up for fortnight or so began to
get nervous. I found that every time
started 1t took bigger drink to get my
nerves in condition, and on inquiring the
value of the box came to feel sort of
relief when it was comparatively small.
The thing was wearing on me, and at last
/ got so / thought /. could tell how
strangers out here, who came west with
exaggerated ideas of the dangers to be en-
countered, felt when they found their
fears realized. Now, I'll tell you some
thing that was never told yet.
after had been getting these warn
ingS for about three or four weeks left
Deadwood one day with box worth
5000, 900. AS soon rs l heard the value of
the bullion the perspiration came out on
me, for, 1 thought to myself, these cut
Threats always know when there is big
treasure aboard, and this is their meat.
It made me mad to find myself so nervous,
because the fact is | never yet ran, and
don't think I ever will, and l walked
around little while trying to get my
grip The fact of the matter was wasn't
well. The work had been heavy, and my
anxiety had upset me. But when it came
time to start put on a reckless air, and
getting up in front with the driver babe
the boys good-by and we drove off.
A TOTAL COLLAPSE.
''The roads were heavy, and before we
reached the first station, where we were
to pass the night, it was dark. Some of
you may know what darkness in western
Nebraska was in these days. We had
about three miles to travel before hauling
up for the night, and Parker, the driver,
and / were straining our eyes to see the
light, when, with a sudden yell at the
horses he pulled them up On their launches
and shrieked in my ear: What's that"
Well, now, at the instant that he first
yelled there was crack like rifle, and ]
heard it as well as he. It may seem
highly ridiculous, and so it was, but the
minute that he shrieked just dropped off
the coach like log, shotgun and all
How it happened cannot tell to this day.
It was total collapse. l had no power
over myself, and, what is more, when /
found myself in the mud almost under
the horses heels could not rise. / am
lIcS W dOIl1I l1db IL etIA tkSCnt AoA SAO"A
up Just then / would have caved. He
could have anything that he wanted.
1.-THE driver got down after little and
helped me up By that time he was con-
WINGED that there were no robbers around,
and on reassuring me we went back
little ways and found that the report
which we had heard had come from the
breaking of a dry limb over which the
coach had run. knew that If that thing
got out it would ruin me in the business,
and fixed it up with the driver so that
we agreed to say nothing about it, After
that "trip took q rest for a few days, and
when ! felt better I went back to work,
and I haven't fallen off from anything
since. Since then, Also have made it
point never to think much about agents.
It don't do you any good, and it may do
you harm. And that's why never make
any remarks when hear of tenderfoot
in hold-up rushing around and insisting
that the agent shall take some things
which he never asks for. He simply can
not control himself He has fallen off the
box, so to speak, and needs rest and recu-
peration, "-Dakota Cor. New York Sun.
Bats in the Mammoth Cave
Looking up at the sides of the great
dome in the Mammoth cave, asked the
guide what the large black spots were.